Omaha daily bee., 1887-08-08
A TRAGEDY OF OlDEN TINES
An Almost Forgotten Mutiny and Murder
.at Sea,
STRUNG At THE YARDARM.
A Midshipman in the Aair-Captain
Mackenzie's Revenge on the
Secretary Of the Navy
Hanging His Son.

On the 14th of December, 1912, the
United States brig somers, Captain Alex
ander Slidell Mackenzie, arrived at the
Brooklyn navy yard from the coast OF
Africa. She had sailed from New York
on the 18th Of September of the same
year, with dispatches for the squadron
at that station, and left Cape Mesurado
on the 10th Of November on her home
ward voyage. Upon her arrival in New
York 1t was noticed that but little com.
munication was held with the shore and
that upon the same day an officer from
| on board left for washington. Soon a
rumor grew into certainty that upon the
homeward voyage of Philip Spencer, q
| midshipman and II son of John Garfield
| Spencer, the then secretary of war; Sam.
uel Cromwell, the acting boatswain of
| the ship, and ElisU Smith, seaman, had
been hanged at the yaraarm for mutiny.
Captain Mackenzie, through his inilu.
ence in the navy, he being connected by
marriage with the Pcrrys, and the rally
ing of the commercial classes, ever ten
| der on the subject of mutiny and having
no feeling against captain either in the
| mercantile or government marine in his
| favor, had for while the press of the
metropolis in his favor. He asked for a
court OF inquiry, which, composed of
three senior captains in the navy, found
| on the 10Th of July, 1912, tina, he and his
officers were completely justified in the
acts which resulted IN the execution.
Then came reaction, The papers con-
nected with the political party of which
Secretary Spencer was a representative,
demanded further investigation, claim.
| ing that the court of inquiry was packed
for an acquittal, and boldly accused the
| commander of the Somers of murder,
and the partisan press on the other side
were as bitter in his defense Finally
court martial was ordered by Secretary
| sions on the United States shin North
Carolina on February 1, 1S43, and con-
tinued in session forty days during which
| time nearly every man and boy on board
| OF the brig from the commander down
was examined under oath. The charges
| against Captain Mackenzie were murder
on the high seas of the men named, of in
sulting and taunting Spencer when about
to be executed and of inflicting cruel and
unusual punishment upon others of the
| crew. The court was composed Of eleven
post captains and two commanders. Be-
fore the examination of witnesses began
Benjamin F. Butler, attorney ey-general of
| the United States under General jackson,
and Charles O'Conor, of New York asked
| UOl IAiScloh VI thC CoVII appChI ol Dc-
half of the relatives of Mr.. Spencer. This
was refused.
THE STORY OF THE TRAGEDY.
The testimony before the court-mar-
tial, which appears to have been fairly
conducted, whatever may be the opinion
as to its result, established these facts:
The Somers was brlg-rigged, double
| decked vessel, of 2G6 tons, pierced for
fourteen guns but carrying only ten
32-pound carronades, and manned with
crew Of 120, including officers, the ma
| jority of the foremastmen being appren.
tices under the age of twenty.
Spencer, who was not quite twenty
years old, and who appears to have
taken pains to make himself a favorte
tobacco and money, on the evening of
| the 25th of November called j. w. Wales.
| the pursers steward, forward, and then,
according to the latter's testimony he
| fore the court-martial, said to him: "Do
| you fear deathg Are you afraid of a
dead person. Dare pou kill .person?"
Wales having answered that he would
manded, Spencer then, after swesrlng
him to secrecy, told him that there were
| twenty OF the ships company besides
| Spencer, who had agreed to murder the
ships officers and take the brig and begin
pirating; that the affray was to begin
some night when he (Spencer) had the
middle watch; that there was to be a
bring the men to the mast and call Mr..
Rogers, the officer of the deck in that
watch, and as soon as he got to the gang.
way he was to be thrown overheard; that
| the mutineers would then station them
| selves at the matches to keep any one
| from coming on deck, he in the meantime
arming them from the arm chests on the
| nnorfar dock nf which ha had kou
that he would then 20 into the cabin
and murder the commander and then,
| with some of his men, go into the ward
room and murder the other officers; that
he would then have two guns strewed
around so as to command the deck. call
the whole crew up, select such men as he
wanted and have the rest thrown over
board; then clear the deck of spare spars
ana rigging and of the launch, expecting
to get these when necessary from cap
| tured vessels, and sail for Cape St. An
tonic or the Isle of Pines, where a man
would be taken on board familiar with
the business; then cruize for prizes:
when a vessel was taken murder all
hands and sink her after taking out what
was valuable and if women were on
board to take them for the use of the
officers and men and when tired of them
make way with them. The conversation
with Spencer, Wales testified, lasted
| nearly two hours and before it ended
I Spencer called Small to HIM and told him
that Wales was all right and one of them
and Small appeared to be much pleased
| at this.
The only cor-oboration before the
| court-martlal OF the testimony of Wales
was that of seamen who saw him and
Spencer and Small in conversation on
that occasion.
THE CONSPIRACY REVEALED.
Late on that evening Wales communi-
Gated the story to the purser who man.
aged through the ships lieutenant to get
it to Captain Mackenzie's ear the same
night. AT evening quarters on the Goth
Spencer, while aft, was disarmed,
double-ironed and handcutied and placed
upon the port arm chest. and Small
double-ironed and handcutfed and put
| upon the slarboard arm chest, where
both remained until their execution. On
the following day Cromwell was ironed
| and put in confinement.
| On the 30th of November Captain Mac
kenzie addressed letter to each of the
following officers Lieutenant Guest
Gansevoort, Assistant Surgeon X. w.
Lacock, Purser IL. Nj. Heskell, Acting
| Mastar Mcpprrv and MidS Shipmop Ha rrv